Here’s Ethan’s week. (Ethan’s comment: it was really fun!)

November 17

November 18

I also went to violin and taekwondo today.

November 19

I also went to the last class of mindfulness, with a 20-minute meditation today. we also ate oranges mindfully.

November 20

I also went to taekwondo today.

Report from Soaring Eagle Nature School:

Wanting to soak up as much precious sun as possible, the North Van Weekly program kicked off the day by making the trek down to the big field downhill of the gazebo. Here, we played a team-building exercise (disguised as a game) called “Dragon Battles”. In this game, there were three teams of kids who linked up by holding onto each other’s shoulders to form a dragon. The goal was for the head of each dragon to steal the tail of another dragon. Many rounds later, we had learned a thing or two about communication. Some groups experienced success while other dragons were repeatedly severed when kids in the front moved too fast for the rear to keep up with! It was a good learning experience, with lessons that if integrated can relate well to real-life teamwork situations! Afterward, everyone shared gratitude in our opening circle, along with educated guesses (some more serious than others!) about our track-cast mystery! A few kids, in particular, spent most of the morning doing research in the tracking guide to try to solve the mystery. At this point, we’ve narrowed it down between a bobcat and a mountain lion (cougar), and it remains to be proved out by the first student to measure the size of the tracks and make a good case for either species! We followed this with Mikaela’s unbelievable Wolverine story, which was rich with animal communication and behavior.

Mink’s group (the Ravens) stayed in the meadow and worked on learning about animal “gaits”–or movement patterns. They did this by learning to mimic animal movement styles in their own bodies, and some of them even competed in a very close Animal Forms Relay Race! A good rest was in order, so the Ravens found solitary sit spots while Mink set up the next exercise–and one kid had a very close encounter with a Dark-Eyed Junco while out on their sitspot! Afterward, Mink explained the basics of deadfall traps, what types of situations might call for their use, and how to go about it as ethically as possible. The ravens split into groups and started working on their own Figure-4 traps to dive into this new skillset! After all of their focus was expended, they finished the day off with a very fun and giggly game of Scout Sword, which felt like it could have gone on for a few more hours! Don’t forget to bring your traps back next week, and do some research on bobcat vs. cougar tracks!

November 21

I also went to the swimming class today.

November 22

November 23

I also went to symphony and swimming class today.

LC Response

Hello Ethan, 

Thank you so much for emailing me some resources, I forgot about Prodigy and how much fun it is for some learners. 

Also thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and emailing them to me. 

I find it interesting that you are not interested in trying practice problems after you learn a new concept. I suppose you are able to progress more quickly if you skip all the practice. 

Once you learn a new equation and reteach it, do you try different variables or values in order to check your understanding? 

For example in the elastic and inelastic equations do you ever change the weight of the objects? The distances?

I am quite impressed with your timeline project. I think the shear length of it is giving you a better perspective on time, history and events.

I appreciate how this timeline was your idea and like many of your ideas you really stretch yourself and your learning.

I also went to the last class of mindfulness, with a 20-minute meditation today. we also ate oranges mindfully.

Do you feel like mindfulness practice informs your learning? 

Are there ways for you to learn more mindfully?

I am curious to hear your thoughts on Soaring Eagle Nature school. I hear a lot about your learning at home, on the computer, and making movies, but very little from you about your reflections and interests in your outdoor experiences. 

Maybe you can share a bit more in the coming weeks. 

I found these this week and thought of you Ethan. I am so excited to have some new things to share with you. I think you will really enjoy. 

I am curious to hear your thoughts and what sorts of connections and questions come up for you as you look at these infographics and videos about biology, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Any new ideas? New inspiration? 

I posted a few images and videos, but the rest is in the link I posted below. This is the website where I found them and maybe there is more for you to explore there as you are such a visual learner. 

Whether you are a scientist who feels like people never quite get what you do or a student who can’t put their finger on how they might use their math or science degree, Walliman’s infographics will come in handy. Consider them roadmaps to possible careers or cheat sheets to figuring out how quantum physics is related to the theory of relativity. Best of all, by studying the visual maps, it becomes easy to see how all these scientific fields overlap and fit together like a puzzle.

Dominic Walliman has created science infographics and animated videos that explore how the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and mathematics relate.

I linked to another infographic and this one is to debunk 100 common myths: https://mymodernmet.com/free-infographic-design-100-common-myths/

Have you heard any of these? Did you learn anything new? 


It’s no secret that some of the things we learn in school, as well as common conventional wisdom, are actually fabrications. Still, these myths are hard to dispel because they’re so ingrained in our society and general understanding of the world at large. How many times, for instance, have you been told not to eat before you go swimming? That’s a total lie—eating prior to the pool doesn’t increase the risk of muscle cramps, so enjoy that cheeseburger before taking a dip. This misconception, along with 99 other common myths, is featured in one fascinating free infographic from GeekWrapped.

Now I know you would like to get into university and possibly pursue a PhD someday. This is an informative infographic of this process. I suggest you read the article here:

https://mymodernmet.com/phd-infographic-matt-might/

I think it is limited albeit often true. I wonder if there are ways to pursue a PhD yet have an interconnected perspective which takes the bigger picture into account more often. I think with your background in Self Design, you may be better poised to do this Ethan.

Chemistry infographic explained

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZihywtixUYo?feature=oembed&rel=0&wmode=transparent

View in popup 

Mathematical Infographic explained

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Ethan’s responses to my questions

ok, here are my answers to your questions. 

Did he make this[bar graph] for a Self Design workshop? His idea? Or suggested by someone? 

okay, so this was for the self-design workshop. 😉

Why do you think Ethan does not do more practice questions? 

 okay, so I think that, if you learn something, and do practice questions, it’s kinda like learning it again. that’s why I don’t like practice problems. also, if I forget, I can just re-learn it.

BIG STEPS! How is this new role [in the concert strings group] feeling? 

I think it feels really interesting and fun! it makes me “sight read”, which means I can’t write any notes down!

Are you challenged? More inspired? How is this Concert Strings group different from the last one you were in?

I am definitely challenged. the concert strings group does way more complex things than the Debut strings group.

Maybe you can help me understand [the game of life’s] relevance and why you were so drawn to it? 

because the game of life is always changing every time! it’s really cool, and I think it is really fun! so, these are the rules:

  1. Any live cell with two or three neighbors survives.
  2. Any dead cell with three live neighbors becomes a live cell.
  3. All other live cells die in the next generation. Similarly, all other dead cells stay dead.

-What did you learn? 

well, I learned that there are a lot of stable formations, and if you disturb it, the stable group just collapses. it represents how humanity survives and grows.

-How does the Game of Life relate to other areas or topics you are learning about? 

hmm… well, it sorta relates to math I guess… umm…I’m not sure! I found this game of life in the book “Math: with bad drawings”.

Possible Observing for Learning this week…

N – What ‘n’-ature adventure(s) have you been on this week? Or did you have any experiences this week where you felt like you yourself or somebody else or something had to be perfect and if so how did you deal with the fact that ‘n’-obody’s/’n’-othing’s perfect?

O – What did you ‘o’-bserve closely this week? Or did you do any ‘o’-rigami this week? Or did you learn about any ‘o’-ral traditions this week? Or did you learn or use any math ’o’-perations this week and if so which operation did you learn and how did you use it? Or were you ‘o’-pen to any new experiences this week and if so what? 

V –  Have you watched any YouTube ‘v’-ideo tutorials and if so what did you learn about this week? Or have you ‘v’-iewed any documentaries or films and if so what did you learn about this week? Or have you done any ‘v’-olunteering this week? Or would you like to do any ‘v’-olunteering and if so where? 

E – How did you feel a connection to the ‘e’-arth this week? Or how have you ‘e’-xpressed your learning this week? Or did you ‘e’-xperiment with anything this week and if so how and what did you learn? Or what educational ‘e’-xperience(s) were you open to this week? 

M – Did you ‘m’-ake any music this week, like what? Or did you ‘m’-ake any art this week, like what? Or did you ‘m’-ake anything this week where you were creative with designing or building or innovating or inventing? Or did you ‘m’-ake anyone laugh this week and if so how? Or how did you use ‘m’ath this week? Or did you do anything to ‘m’-ake a difference this week to your community, your planet, your family, yourself, and if so what and how? Or did you develop any more ‘m’-indfulness or discover any more personal growth this week? Or did you study anything about ‘m’-arine life or ‘m’-atter and energy or ‘m’-icrobes or ‘m’-ythology or ‘m’-usic this week?

B – Did you ask any ‘b’-ig questions this week and if so is there an answer and if so are you satisfied (or not) with the answer? Or did you ‘b’-ake or cook anything this week and if so what and how did it turn out and taste? Did you do any ‘b’-irdwatching this week and if so what did you see and what do you love about birds? Or are you interested to learn more about ‘b’-lack history in Canada or other countries? Or did you do any ‘b’-iking or ‘b’-oarding this week and if so what and where and how did it go?

E – Did you engage in any ‘e’-ntrepreneurial ventures this week and if so which and how? Or did you use your sense of ‘e’-conomics this week in any way and if so how? 

Or did you use or learn anything about ‘e’-ngines (big or small) this week? 

R – Did you find any ways to ‘r’-educe or ‘r’-euse or ‘r’-ecycle or upcycle this week? Or have you learned anything new or different or deeper about ‘r’-elationships this week and with who and how have you put it into practice?